The GMU Debate Team is an intercollegiate policy debate team. We compete both regionally and nationally in the Cross Examination Debate Association, National Debate Tournament, and American Debate Association circuits. Collegiate policy debate serves as an activity that fosters in-depth research, critical thinking, persuasion, argumentation and overall communication skills.

#MasonDebate

Mason Debate, Where Innovation is Tradition

Community Minded

Ask our debaters what made them choose GMU and you’re likely to get many different answers. There’s one thing they’ll all agree on though; they stayed on the GMU Debate Team because of the tight-knit friendships and connections.

At Mason, we strive to maximize our performance. Our team has consistently placed among the top five teams in the nation, reaching first in the Cross Examination Debate Association National Rankings in 2015 and first in the National Debate Tournament rankings in 2014.

Our debaters have also reached amazing levels of success as individual competitors. In 2015, we were commended as having the most "well-rounded squad" with individuals who placed as the champions of the novice and junior varsity divisions, as well as a team that earned a coveted top 16 First-Round Qualifying spot in the varsity division.